Letter to Governor Jon Corzine

It is only fair that every New Jerseyan have the opportunity to live in a decent home in a decent community, reasonably close to their place of employment. The new rules from the state Council on Affordable Housing, because they more accurately estimate the amount of New Jersey residents currently being denied that opportunity, constitute a step in the right direction. Their implementation should not be delayed.

The Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey says this attempt by state Senators Lesniak (D-Union) and Bateman (R-Somerset) to put a moratorium on the COAH process is clearly part of a larger campaign to roll back recent housing reforms that create opportunities for all New Jersey families to have safe housing they can afford. Senator Bateman is a prime sponsor of S.2292/A.344, introduced in the Senate on October 20, which would undo all of the major elements of A.500, New Jersey's comprehensive housing reform act, signed by you, Governor, in July. Among other things, Senator Bateman's bill would bring back Regional Contribution Agreements, an unfair mechanism by which wealthy municipalities paid out millions to avoid building any new housing for working families. This onerous practice, which was abolished just three months ago, has been called "blood money" by state leaders including Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts. The elimination of this practice was supported on the editorial pages of every major newspaper in the State.

The Senators' proposals, and the broader campaign behind them, would continue to unfairly deny tens of thousands of New Jersey families the opportunity to a decent home. Their moratorium on the COAH process also amounts to a moratorium on construction, at a time when the state's economy is in dire need of such stimulating, job-creating activity. Their proposal appears to be the first step down a slippery slope that would scuttle COAH entirely and weaken the significant housing reforms you signed into law this summer.

We are surprised by Senator Lesniak's proposal. A few short months ago he was one of the leaders of the most progressive reform of housing legislation seen in New Jersey in more than 20 years. A.500 eliminated the ability of wealthy towns to buy their way out of doing their fair share of providing housing that all New Jerseyans can afford. What has happened to change the Senator's mind to the point that he would call for such a drastic step?

We need to give the COAH process a chance to work. Almost since its inception, COAH has been hamstrung by legal challenges, mostly from municipalities hoping to avoid building housing for low and moderate income people, and hasn't had the chance to act at all. In the past nine years, many towns have done little or nothing to provide their fair share of affordable housing, all the while collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in local developer fees that they could have been using to develop housing! These are monies that towns could be using to create accessory apartments, provide rental assistance, buy down subprime mortgages or actually build housing for seniors, working families and young couples. Instead they too often sit on the money and do nothing.

The housing reforms enacted this year allow for adjustments to COAH rules and other housing related regulations through an annual review of the state's housing situation. Instead of delaying the process, we urge you, Governor Corzine, to appoint the Housing Commission as soon as possible to get this process underway.

Corrections, where needed, can be made within the system as it now stands. There is no good reason to overhaul the new rules or delay their implementation. Let's go forward and finally begin providing the housing opportunities all New Jersey families deserve.